Lessons learned from the 2007-2008 cold and flu season: what worked and what was worthless.

The 2007-2008 cold and flu season had a feeble beginning but a dramatic end. Most states in the U.S. were reporting their highest number of flu cases well into February and March. It is concerning that not only the public but health care professionals have not embraced widespread vaccination because approximately 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths a year continue to make this condition one of the leading preventable causes of morbidity and mortality. The real question that needs to be asked next year is who should not be vaccinated rather than who needs to be vaccinated. Preventive measures with soap and water and 62% ethyl alcohol hand gels continue to make sense, whereas the antibacterial soaps seem to provide no added protection and theoretically increase the risk of bacterial resistance. A few dietary supplements garnered some attention. Among products with clinical research, an oral 500 mg qd immunogenic fermentate (Epicor) reduced the risk and duration of cold and flu symptoms in subjects vaccinated for seasonal influenza. Two novel prescription medications (zanamivir [Relenza], and oseltamivir [Tamiflu]) are available for the prevention and/or treatment of influenza and also have demonstrated minimal resistance compared to the older medications. These FDA-approved medications should receive more attention because of their overall effectiveness in treating the flu during the first stages of the disease process.